Baseball Falls to Missouri in Walk-Off Loss

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of South Carolina baseball team scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at seven, but a walk-off sacrifice fly from Tre Morris gave Missouri an 8-7 win Saturday afternoon (April 2) at Taylor Stadium.
 
Carolina took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Missouri scored five runs in the frame, highlighted by a three-run home run from Nander de Sades. Carolina clawed back with a two-run double from Brandt Belk, tying the game at seven. Belk got to third and Thad Ector put a good swing on a ball but it stayed up to left for the third out of the inning.
 
Missouri used a walk and single to lead off the ninth off Michael Braswell. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up 90 feet and Morris’ sacrifice fly ended the game.
 
Carolina took a 2-1 lead in the third on Belk’s fourth home run of the season, a liner that hugged the right field line. Carson Hornung made it 3-1 in the sixth with his first home run of his Gamecock career. Missouri answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Carolina made it 5-2 in the eighth on a Braylen Wimmer home run and a Braswell RBI single.
 
Will Sanders started the game for the Gamecocks on the mound. He went seven innings and allowed two runs with four strikeouts and no walks.
 
Belk drove in four runs on Saturday with a pair of hits.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Sanders gave Carolina its second straight seven-inning start. Noah Hall went seven innings in last night’s win over Missouri.
• Brandt Belk extended his hitting streak to 15 games after his two-run home run in the third.
• Carolina had three home runs in today’s game and now has five in the series.
• Carolina used 18 players in today’s game.

UP NEXT
The Gamecocks and Tigers will play the rubber game on Sunday afternoon (April 3) at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET) in Columbia, Mo. The game is on SEC Network Plus.